Validity problem of parental guarantees when the parents are not resident in this country?

This is also of interest to me - I work with a great number of property agents in my profession (a free service securing their international clients preferential rates of currency exchange and giving landlords and agents back a thank-you introduction fee) and often times, they rent out to international students - especially in and around Manchester and London.

Indeed, many explain that because they cannot secure a guarantor they require 6m-12m upfront in advance. But good question - how far in advance can you take it? I'm looking forward to hearing back from others on here.

I'd probably say - if you don't ask you don't get and if they agree to pay it so far in advance and the contracts are signed then there isn't really any wrong-doing.

Hi Yvonne.
Personally, I would take the risk as I find foreign students tend to be very good and reliable with payments. But, as you say, it is a risk.

We have similar problems as a majority of our tenants are overseas students and cannot obtain Rent Guarantee protection as the tenant/Guarantor do not fit in with the standard referencing criteria so we recently looked at Housing Hand who are a UK based company that (for a fee, of course) will effectively become a UK Guarantor for your Landlord at no charge to the LL as the cost is met by the tenant. It seemed quite expensive to us so we haven't use the service yet but it's maybe worth a look http://www.housinghand.co.uk. Good luck, Mark

Hi, I believe that some universities will offer to act as UK guarantors for a limited number of students.

Failing this there are companies that will offer a UK guarantor service, such as Housing Hand (who charge the students a fee).

This term is my first dealing with Housing Hand so although they do appear to offer a solution (they completed my guarantor form) I cannot comment on how easy it is to claim from them. Hopefully I never will.

Why are you unwilling to take payment upfront?

If your prospective tenants have no income and no guarantor in this country that's about your only other option.

Romain I'm unwilling to take payment upfront because I wish to find a better solution and anyway acceptance of what would be a third of my income would upset my tax position. I'm really looking for other Landlords experiences as I believe Universities should step up to the plate as they say. They are only too willing to accept these students and their higher fees, give them accommodation in the first year and expect them to go into private accommodation in the second year, without appreciating that when they offer accommodation, they hold their guarantee by the control of their students degree, expecting Landlords to take the risk or their students to pay up enormous sums eight months upfront. The students in question wrote to Oxford University and to their college Wadham and sent me the replies. Wadham College even mentioned it being unfair! not thinking they how they hold the ace card expecting presumably Landlords to take the risk.

The group offered to pay 3-6 months upfront (which is not exactly 12) and I also suggested Housing Hand which they thought too expensive. Despite ringing Housing Hand I for one cannot work out how a third party such as my students can take on Insurance for what is my liability? Has anyone experienced this Insurance?

Luckily for me my houses are well sort after so I took another group without these problems. Never-the- less my heart goes out to the looser in this case and still believe that a solution should be found. How much of a problem and how many more students faced with this problem will it take for Oxford University and others around the country, to at the very least take note of the issue and go some way to solve it, rather than this brick wall approach that Oxford Uni. letters revealed. Thank you all for all your comments.